Car coupler mechanism



June 14, 1932. H. F. MILLER CAR COUPLER MECHANISM Fi led May 29, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet June 14, 1932 F 1,862,799

CAR COUPLER MECHANISM Filed May 29, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HUN"! /8 4 i gwuznto'z 4 f well as the coupler lock,

Patented June 14, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE HOVJARD F. MILLER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MCCONWAY &, TORLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA Application filed May 29,

My invention relates to car coupler mechanism and particularly to means for preventing an accidental unlocking movement of the coupler locking device, the said means, as being adapted to be actuated by an uncoupling member from be neath the coupler head.

More specifically the invention is concerned with a construction. in which the lock for the 0 coupler knuckle is formedwith a depending leg for receiving the means for preventing accidental movement of the lock to unlocked position.

The principal feature of the invention consists in forming the lock of ,a coupler with a. depending leg in which is slidably mounted a lock-to-thc-lock device for cooperating with the coupler head to prevent accidental unlocking movement of the lock, the lower end of the depending lock leg constituting a support for the forward end of a lifter bar serving to actuate the lock-to-the-lock device, and a portion of the lock leg being adapted to cooperate with the lifter bar when the latter is in normal locked position to prevent the lifter bar from accidentally actuating the lock-tothe lock device as a result of the shocks and jars incident to service.

ther features of the invention pertaining to advantageous combinations of parts and details of constructions will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings showing a preferred embodiment of the invention Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing'the relation ofthe invention to a car coupler and associated devices, the parts being in normal locked relation.

Figure 2 is a detail view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, of a portion of the mechanism shown in Figure 1, the coupler lock being in locked position and the lock-tothe-lock device and the lifter bar being in the positions they occupy when the coupler lock is released for an unlocking-movement.

Figure 3 is. a detail sectional view on the line 3-3, Figure 1, the knuckle of the coupler and its locking pin being in plan.

Figure 4: is a detail front elevational view of the lock for the coupler knuckle showing CAR COUPLER MECHANISM 1928. Serial No. 281,482.

Figure 6 1s a plan view of the coupler lock.

Figure 7 is a sectional view on the line 7-7,

Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8, Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9,

I Figure 5.

In the drawings, 1 indicates. a car'coupler provided witha pivoted knuckle 2 and having a locking pin 3 which, underthe influence of gravity, normally overlaps the tail of the knuckle so as to prevent an uncoupling rotation of the latter. The locking pin 3, which slides vertically in the coupler head, is formed with a depending leg 4 that'projects downwardly through an opening 5 in the bottom wall on the coupler head. When in a position preventing an uncoupling rotation of the knuckle, the, locking pin 8 is supported by lugs or shoulders 1a formed integral with the coupler head. These details of'construction constitute no essential part of the invention and, therefore, may be varied as desired.

Toward its lower end the lock leg 4: is fashioned with a recessfi for receiving the lockto-the-lock'device or lockdown member 7 the latter being slidably movable with respect to the depending lock leg and being so formed and associated with said leg that it normally gravitates to a position in which its upper end 8 projects under a lockdown shoulder or portion 9 of the coupler head. As will be readily understood, if, as a result of the shocks to which the coupler is subjected in service, the lock .3 accidentally jumps upward toward unlocked position, the engagement of the end 8 of the lock-to-the-lock with the shoulder 9 upon the coupler head arrests the unlocking movement of the lock 8 and prevents the latter from moving to unlocked position.

The lock-to-the-lock 7 is preferably a member of angular form provided intermediate its ends with an elongated slot 10 inclined to the vertical. A rivet 11 which passes through this slot and through the adjacent walls of the lock leg 4 serves to retain the member in assembled relation and also to guide it so as to enable it to perform a sliding and rotating movement when being forced to released position by the lifter bar 12. This combined sliding and rotating motion of the member 7 effectively reduces the extent of uncoupling movement of the lifter bar 12 re quired to shift the lock-to-the-lock 7 to a position permitting the coupler lock 3 to be actuated to unlock the coupler.

To enable the member 7 to move promptly to normal locked position whenever it is free to do so, its weight to as large an extent as possible, is preferably disposed on one side of the pin or rivet 11 by which it is guided, and to enable this desirable disposition of weight to be effected, the upper end of the slot 10 is formed in a lug or protuberance 13 with which the member 7 is provided on its rear face.

The lower arm or branch 14 of the lock-tothe-lock member 7, which is engaged by the lifter bar 12 when the latter performs an uncoupling operation, extends into a constricted portion of the lock leg recess 6 between the walls 15 and 16 respectively, the lock-to-thelock member 7 thereby being prevented from executing any substantial pivotal movements around the pivot 11 when the parts are in locked relation. As shown, the interior faces of the walls 15 and 16 of the lock leg are of a form affording suitable clearance enabling the member 7 to move to and from released position. .F or limiting the extent of rearward movement of the upper end of the member 7, the lock leg 4 is preferably provided above the rivet 11, with a transversely extending wall 17 with which the upper end of the member 7 is adapted to come into contact. The recess 6 opens rearwardly between the vertically spaced walls 16 and 17 of the depending lock leg, thus permitting the lug 13 of the lock-to-the-lock member to project rearwardly through the lock leg when the member 7 is forced to released position.

The lower end of the depending leg 4 of the lock is formed as a loop 18 affording a slot 19 for receiving the hooked end 20 of the lifter bar 12. The slot 19 is of angular form, the walls or surfaces 21 and 22, respectively, being so shaped that they extend transversely with respect to the direction of draft and bull'- mg movements 0f the coupler, thereby provldmg front and rear hearings or seats for the lifter bar 12 so that the latter will travel with the coupler without any tendency to move upwardly and destroy the efficiency of the loclr-to-the-lock. Between the ends of the slot 19, the forward intermediate surface 23 of said slot extends rearwardly to form a shoulder which overlaps the outer end of the lifter bar 12 when the latter is in normal locked position. This shoulder 28, which inclines upwardly toward the rear, prevents the lifter from accidentally jumping upwardly into contact with the lower end of the lockto-the-lock member 7. The lifter bar 12 is actuated by uncoupling devices allowing it to move rearwardly the necessary distance to permit its forward end to clear the shoulder 23, so that the employment of such shoulder for preventing the accidental movement of the lifter bar in no wise hampers a normal unlocking movement of the latter.

Any suitable operating mechanism may be employed for rotating the lifter bar 12 vertically to cause it to move the lock-tothe-lock device 7 to released position and thereafter to cause the coupler lock 3 to execute an unlocking movement.

The mechanism for that purpose illustrated in the drawin s is the form disclosed in the Milliken and Regan Patent No. 1,507,- 244 of September 2, 1924; the lifter bar 12 being slidably supported at its rear end by an actuating member 24, swingingly mounted upon a bail 25. carried by a hook 26 which is rigidilv secured to and extends downwardly from the coupler carrier 27. The uncoupling lever 28, which is of a well known form and extends toward the side of the car, serves to rotate the member 24 upwardly so as to effect a corresponding vertical rotation of the lifter bar 12. When, as a result of the uncoupling rotation of the lifter bar, its forward end comes into contact with the bottom of the lockdown member 7 the latter is elevated and its upper end simultaneously executes a rearward swinging movement, thus causing its upper end to pass from beneath the lockdown shoulder 9 of the coupler head and be retracted into the recess 6 of the depending lock leg 4. When this has been accomplished. the further uncoupling movement of the lifter bar 12 causes the coupler lock 3 to move upwardly so as to assume lockset position. or to execute the more extended. unlocking movement required to actuate the knuckle opener such this type.

A mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention affords an efficient lockto-the-lock located in a position where it is as is commonly employed in couplers of readily accessible in case repairs may become necessarv and where its condition may be easily observed. The construction also presents the advantage of permitting the employment of a lifter bar formed from round commercial iron which, as will be appreciated, facilitates the making of repairs in an emergency when a lifter bar is not available.

I claim:

1. In mechanism of the character indicating a rotatable knuckle and a lock therefor formed with a depending leg extending downwardly through the bottom wall of the coupler head, of a lock-to-the-lock device mounted on said leg for slidable and rotatable movements relative thereto and adapted to cooperate with a portion of the coupler head to prevent said lock from accidentally assuming unlocked position, said device and the lock leg having a pin and slot connection, and a vertically movable lifter bar for actuating said device to permit the lock to move to unlocked position, said lifter bar being out of contact with said device when the latter is in normal locked position and being adapted to cause said lock to execute an unlocking movement.

2. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a car coupler having a rotatable knuckle and a lock therefor provided with a depending leg projecting downwardly through the bottom wall of the coupler head, said leg being formed with a recess which is open at one side and has a constricted lower portion, of a member mounted in said recess and movably secured to said leg by a pin and slot connection, said member having a portion projecting beyond said leg for cooperation with the coupler head to prevent said lock from accidentally moving to unlocked position and having a downwardly projecting portion extending into the constricted part of the recess, said downwardly projecting portion being adapted to engage said lock to prevent substantial rotation of said member when the latter is in normal locked position, and a vertically movable lifter bar adapted to engage the downwardly projecting portion of said member to thereby release said lock from the control of said member.

3. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a car coupler having a rotatable knuckle and a lock therefor provided with a depending leg projecting downwardly through the bottom wall of the coupler head, of a lockdown member for cooperating with a portion of the coupler head to prevent the lock from accidentally assuming unlocked position, a vertically rotatable lifter bar for actuating said lockdown member, the lifter bar when in normal locked position engaging and being supported by said lock, and the said lockdown member being provided with portions extending at an angle to each other and one of which is adapted to project laterally beyond said lock leg and being movably connected intermediate its ends to said leg by a pin and slot connection enabling it to execute slidable and rotary movements with respect to said leg, said slot being inclined to the vertical, and means for slidably supporting said lifter bar to the rear of said depending leg.

4. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a car coupler having a rotatable knuckle and a lock therefor provided with a depending leg projecting downwardly through the bottom wall of the coupler head, of means mounted on said leg for cooperating with a portion of the coupler head to prevent said lock from accidentally moving to unlocked position, a vertically movable lifter bar for successively actuating said means and said lock, the depending leg of the lock being provided below said means with a slot for receiving and supporting the forward end of said bar and affording front and rear bearings therefor, said slot being of angular form and having a wall extending over a portion of said bar when the latter is in normal locked relation, and means for actuating said bar, said means being adapted to permit said bar to move rearwardly when performing an uncoupling movement.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HOWARD F. MILLER. 

